CHAPTER 15……………………………………………….
I knew she wasn’t a bad person trying to exploit someone’s weakness, but this was the first time Riphey had ever brought an outsider with him when coming to see me.
That was because Riphey himself was extremely wary of me being exposed to the outside world.
If you get caught wrong, you could be locked up as a test subject for life. Be careful.
Sensing the worry and curiosity in my gaze, Riphey answered this time.
“Not long after I gave you that potion, I heard that the doctor was caught near the southern border by the Hunter Duke.”
“Ah.”
The Hunter Duke—the nickname used among mercenaries for the Duke of Nosdian.
I was reminded of the brown-robed mages I’d seen about a month ago at the mansion decorated in the style of the Kingdom of Ruinak.
Riphey continued, almost growling.
“So I was trying to track down—no, find—that bastard doctor’s whereabouts, and that’s when Lady Risha came to see me.”
“I happened to be looking for Mr. Riphey,” Risha added.
She took a potion bottle filled with blue liquid out of a cloth pouch.
“Ah, that’s…”
It was the potion I had drunk.
“Yes, that’s right. Actually, I received a request from the Sky Ark—to find the source of this magic potion.”
“From the Sky Ark?”
I was genuinely surprised.
Risha really must have been an extraordinary person. To receive a commission from the Sky Ark, a gathering of only high-ranking mages—even if they were a bunch of stubborn eccentrics.
“The mages of the Sky Ark lack experience dealing with matters in the shadows,” she explained. “Even if the rank is low, they needed a specialist.”
She looked down at the Mana Enhancement Accelerator.
“I tried casting a tracking spell first, but something went wrong—the spell wouldn’t take. So I needed someone who could analyze the mana composition of the potion itself. Among mercenaries, there’s no one who can do that, and even within the Sky Ark, such people are extremely rare… Then I learned that Mr. Riphey knew an expert.”
“Ah.”
I immediately understood why Risha had come looking for me.
“So that’s why you came to see me.”
There was only one reason a mage would seek out someone like me, who wasn’t a mage.
“Because I can read mana with my eyes.”
She smiled brightly, as if that were the correct answer.
For reasons I didn’t fully understand, people like me—who could visually read other people’s mana once it left their bodies—were extremely rare. Normally, people could only see their own mana.
Riphey chimed in beside her.
“While waiting for you, I even checked with the Sky Ark’s next successor, but they couldn’t figure it out either. When it comes to reading mana, no one’s better than you.”
“Yeah, thanks. But instead of praise, I’d prefer it in cash.”
When I made a circle with my thumb and index finger, Risha broke into a cheerful grin and held up a pouch in front of me.
“Of course. Proper compensation will be provided.”
The clinking sound suggested it was quite heavy.
“Then, deal.”
I smiled broadly.
My emergency fund was growing again.
Reading mana wasn’t particularly difficult. I just had to describe exactly what I saw.
Riphey often asked me to do this kind of work for him, and the payments I received each time went straight into my secret savings.
Risha placed the Mana Enhancement Accelerator in my hand. I popped the cork and scattered the potion into the air.
Shhh—!
“Ugh! The smell!”
All three of us clutched our noses at the same time.
The small amount of potion began to evaporate rapidly the moment it left the bottle.
Magic potions were usually made by using a liquid essence that stabilized magic as a base, then inscribing magical formulas onto it.
But judging by how it immediately vaporized, this potion seemed to be made with purified water as its base, with magic formulas crudely shoved into it. Completely unstable—basically a bomb.
And I drank this.
Ignoring the chill that ran down my spine, I focused my mana at the fleeting moment when the magic formulas escaped the purified water and converted into natural mana—and I “read” it.
It was bizarre, yet beautiful.
Bright blue mana and golden mana were chaotically mixed, like sapphire shards and gold dust scattered through the air. Yet the mana particles clearly formed a distinct structure.
“It’s based on the Resef formula, with Bios added. Bach, Kesera, and Amu form the central axis of a three-dimensional build structure…”
It was a configuration that designated junction points to gather, guide, and bind mana into a single location.
I verbally explained the formulas I recognized and directly drew the rest on Risha’s palm. Thanks to diligently studying my mother’s spellbooks in preparation for the day I might become a mage, identifying them wasn’t too difficult.
“Hm. The problem seems to be around here.”
“Where exactly?”
“The Lactas sub-adjustment formula. The flow gets blocked here.”
“Damn it. I knew it.”
In simple terms, it was a compression spell meant to cram numerous magical effects into a liquid. Since the packaging had failed, there was no way the contents could function properly.
Though I doubt it was ever really meant to be medicine in the first place.
There were many formulas I didn’t recognize, but something about it felt off. At that moment, Riphey grabbed my hand.
“That’s enough. We’ll handle fixing it from here, so you don’t need to look anymore.”
“…Okay.”
I turned my gaze away from the magic potion, which had scattered brilliantly and now vanished without a trace. After all, I could only read mana—I didn’t have any myself, so I couldn’t untangle the flawed parts directly.
As Riphey released my hand, Risha took it instead, holding it firmly.
“Thank you, young lady. Thanks to this, we can stop more victims from appearing.”
“It’s nothing. I was paid to do it, after all.”
“Even so. You seem reluctant to expose yourself, so the fact that you helped us at all means a great deal.”
Seeing Risha’s eyes grow misty with gratitude, I gave an awkward smile.
“I hope it helps.”
Ever since gaining this new life, I’d barely managed to take care of myself, let alone think about helping others. It was only after meeting Riphey that I was reminded such people even existed.
It wasn’t exactly a time to worry about conscience.
They say generosity only comes when you’re comfortable yourself.
Risha said she would report this to the Sky Ark first and headed deeper into the forest. Thanks to the barrier around my cabin, wild animals didn’t come near this area, so going a bit farther in was still safe.
Only after everything was over did the cold finally set in. When I unconsciously hunched my shoulders, Riphey draped his cloak over me.
“Here. Put this on.”
“Thanks.”
Perhaps because it still held Riphey’s body heat, it was noticeably warm. Though oddly enough, he himself was wearing only a sleeveless top—wasn’t he cold?
“Here.”
“What’s this?”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while. It’d be good to have a way to contact each other in an emergency.”
What he placed in my palm was a transparent crystal orb about the size of a chestnut.
“Don’t tell me this is…”
“Yeah. It’s a communicator.”
“Seriously?”
I was genuinely shocked. I knew communication magic tools existed, but they were said to cost as much as ten mana-powered vehicles—so expensive that even the Uberis family had never owned one.
And he was giving me something that costly.
Riphey grinned proudly.
“What? I make good money. And with this, we can talk anytime, anywhere. You won’t have to climb Mount Barun every day like this anymore.”
“My goodness—you came here every day? You wouldn’t be able to visit until the fortnight anyway, so why come every day?”
At that, he gently ruffled my hair.
“Because I was worried about you. I just couldn’t sit still.”
“Ah…”
My chest tightened at his warm words.
Maybe the greatest blessing of this life was Riphey.
Feeling embarrassed for no reason, I pulled the cloak closed tightly, as if afraid its warmth might escape.
“I say this every time we meet, but I’m really okay.”
He stared at me sulkily for a moment, then tied the cloak strings for me as he replied,
“You always say that. But I really wish you’d get out of that damn house already. And the fastest way for that to happen is for your heart to heal.”
“Ah. Actually, about that…”
Only then did I remember what I’d originally planned to leave in a note.
“I’m getting married.”
“…What?”
Riphey froze like a statue.
“I left the house. And I’ve decided to get married.”
I repeated it once more, but it didn’t seem to help him recover from the shock.
“W-Wait, hold on! What are you talking about? You left home? And marriage?! You had a guy?”
“With my situation? Of course not. It’s a parental arrangement.”
“That trash bastard? No, more importantly—marriage?! Then what about your mother’s belongings? Weren’t you staying there because of those?”
“I’ll get them back soon. No matter what it takes.”
“What?!”
Riphey let out increasingly shrill cries, his face full of disbelief.
I wanted to explain everything in detail, but if I did, Riphey might end up entangled with the Duke of Nosdian as well. I didn’t want him to suffer because of me.
I gave an ambiguous smile and brushed it off.
“Stuff just happened.”
“What stuff?!”
“Just… stuff.”
“Elle!”
At my evasive answers, Riphey shouted, but I simply covered my ears and refused to explain.
Ah—there was one more thing I shouldn’t forget.
“And after a year, we’re getting divorced, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Divorce? What are you even talking about now?!”
Riphey looked like he was about to lose his mind.
Well, if it were me—if my friend finally escaped an abusive home, only to immediately marry someone their parents introduced, and then say they’d divorce after a year—I’d go crazy too.
Especially if I knew that “someone” was an imperial duke who was, in truth, a criminal on a continental scale…
Ha. Even I think this is a total mess.
I didn’t want to worry Riphey any more than I already had. So I spoke as lightly as possible.
“It’s a one-year, fixed-term contract marriage. So help me find a place to live after a year, okay? I couldn’t bring my emergency savings with me. Haha.”
“…Just what the hell happened?”
After staring blankly for a moment, he let out a long sigh, his expression saying it was obvious I wasn’t going to explain. Riphey roughly messed up his long bangs, then pulled me into a hug. Even though he was wearing only a sleeveless shirt, his embrace was surprisingly warm.
“Alright. Just trust me. I’ll make sure to find you a proper place!”
“Thanks, Riphey. I really can’t rely on anyone but you.”
I looked up and gave him the compliment he loved most. He loosened his arms, placed his hands on his hips, and lifted his chin proudly.
“Damn right. I’m the best, aren’t I?”
“Yeah. You’re the best.”
Just then, as if on cue, Risha returned.
